In its first year offering services to Guatemala City’s street youth, IPPF/WHR’s association in Guatemala discovered a population living in even more alarming conditions than this group in which 99% use drugs and 100% have health problems: the children of street youth. There are more than 5,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 23 living in the streets of Guatemala City; two-thirds of the girls report having been pregnant at one time, and one-third have small children with them on the streets. A second generation of street children is growing up in the center of the city’s drug and sex trafficking, homelessness, and police brutality.
When first undertaking the challenge of working with street kids, APROFAM (IPPF/WHR’s member association) and its partners, including Doctors Without Borders, had to determine the particular health needs of this population. While counseling and treatment of sexually transmitted infections represent the primary services currently offered to street youth, obstetric services, prenatal care and family planning workshops are also significant components of the program. The children of these youth also receive medical services—often for respiratory and gastrointestinal problems related to maternal drug use.
Casa Alianza, another IPPF/WHR partner in the street youth initiative, has been working for over 20 years to habilitate youth and “reinsert” them into society. Former street youth volunteering with Casa Alianza bring kids living on the streets directly to the clinics for sexual and reproductive health. These youth leaders are often the most effective means of reaching vulnerable youth with information.
The collaborative project represents the first efforts to provide Guatemala City’s street children with sexual and reproductive health services, an often overwhelming challenge with a population that normalizes health risks and problems. However, even the simple documentations of special needs and best practices in working with street children represents a significant contribution in the field of human rights for street populations in the region. Results and lessons learned from the project could also lead to the implementation of a model at the governmental level, providing more infrastructure and funds to improve the health and lives of the most vulnerable youth.
